Club Constitution (2009)
Constitution of Video Game Design Club, Miami Instituted December 2009 Article I - Name Video Game Design Club (VGDC) Article II – Purpose Provide an opportunity for Miami University students who are interested in video games and video game design to build community, make games and network with professionals in the field of electronic gaming. Article III – Membership A.All Miami University undergraduate and graduate students are qualified for membership. B. V.G.D.C. does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, or veterans' status. C. Hazing is strictly prohibited as outlined by University policy (O6X.101) and state law. D.Member Expectations are as follows: Attendance at a minimum of one game building event and one member meeting each semester. General respect and good attitude toward other members, Executive Board Members, and the Faculty Advisor. E. In the event a member is acting in a way deemed inappropriate by the Executive Board Members or Faculty Advisor, said member may be banned from any and all future organization events. This action will be used at the discretion of an Executive Board Member or Faculty Advisor. A banned member can only have their ban lifted by a majority vote of the Executive Board and approval of the Faculty Advisor. Article IV – Meetings A.Club meetings will occur in the following form. Organizational and informational meetings throughout the year will take place in a classroom. B. Procedures for holding meetings are as follows. Organizational and informational meetings will be set according to members’ available schedules. The club president or officers in accordance with the advisor and club members will schedule meetings. Article V – Executive Board A.The executive board will be made up of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. General Expectations of Executive Board Members are as follows: V.G.D.C. shall take priority over all other organizations and student functions, except for those involving religious, academic, or family events/holidays/emergencies. In this case, the Executive Board Member must notify the remaining officers at least one week in advance of the event. Executive Board Members are expected to arrive no later than one hour prior to an event to aid in set up, unless specified otherwise by the President. Executive Board Members are expected to attend all events, meetings, officer meetings, and other activities required by this constitution and/or the constitution of ASG. All Executive Board Members are required to surrender any keys, equipment and/or funds currently in their possession at the end of their service as an officer. The Individual Office duties are as follows, please note that pronoun he will be used for simplicity and to avoid the verbosity of he/she and that it in no way implies the gender of Executive Board Members: The President shall serve as head of the organization. It will be his duty to run meetings, to oversee the allocation of work, supervise the fulfillment of office requirements, to be mindful of member status and watchful of anyone that may harm the wellbeing of the organization, to have regular contact with the faculty advisor, to organize events and meetings, and to fulfill other necessary organizational tasks. He may also delegate these duties to other officers as needed. The Vice President will assist the President in the completion of his duties. He will keep regular contact with the members of the organization, answering questions and listening to ideas/concerns of organization members, and act as a mediator between the President and the rest of the members, and send out periodic updates, etc. The Vice President will be in charge of creating agendas and meeting power points at the delegation of the President. He shall also attend to any additional duties assigned by the President or Faculty Advisor. The Treasurer is in charge of financial management. This shall include keeping a detailed record of all purchases and deposits, making deposits, check requests, and funding applications. The Treasurer shall also attend the annual ASG mandatory funding meeting and keep tabs on the status of organization accounts, as well as attending to any additional duties assigned by the President, Vice President, or Faculty Advisor. The Secretary shall keep a detailed historical record of organization activities. He will take official congressional minutes of all officer and member meetings, including a roll call, and keep these minutes in a binder or likewise ordered place. The Secretary will take semester inventory of all club owned equipment and supplies. He will also be in charge of the upkeep of any websites, forums, and documents of the organization, as well as attending to any additional duties assigned by the President, Vice President, or Faculty Advisor. B. The procedures for filling vacancies are as follows. The Vice President shall assume the role of the President if the President is unable to fulfill their duties for their term. In the event of filling vacancies for the Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, nominations for the vacancies will be taken from the organization’s members. A special meeting will be held promptly to elect the officers. In the event that an Executive Board Member fails to meet the expectations of their office, they may be placed in a probationary period by majority vote of the remaining officers and approval of the organization Advisor. The Probationary Period will be defined by the organization President (or Vice President if the case calls for it) and Advisor, depending on the severity of the situation. If, at the end of the determined probationary period, the executive board member in question may be removed from office by a majority vote from the remaining officers as well as approval of the organization Advisor. Article VI – Elections A.The club members will select the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Each term will be one calendar year beginning in April and concluding in April. There is no term limit for any position. B. A club member may nominate another club member or themselves to be an officer. The nominations shall be anonymous. The nominations will take place in March, and elections will take place within two weeks, also in March. Nominees will present their qualifications and objectives to the members at this election meeting. C. Newly elected officers will shadow their counterpart throughout the remainder of the school year and will assume full responsibility for their duties at the conclusion of the school year. D.In the occurrence of a tie a revote will take place between the nominees that are tied. Article VII – Funds A.Allocation of funds will be directed towards expenses. B. Expenses include, but are not limited to: Publicity Space Reservation Technology Needs Acquiring resources to best serve the organization’s needs. Such resources include software licenses, hardware. Paying honorariums for guest speakers Supplementing registration fees for appropriate conferences (as identified by the members of the organization) and related computer game development events that support the mission of the organization. C. Fund raising will be organized to help with expenses and promote the club by gaining support from external sources. Article VII – Committees/Divisions Committees will be organized and developed according to needs and issues as they develop. Article IX – Affiliation/Rules Video Game Design Club, Miami currently has no affiliation. Article X – Advisor The club advisor will be selected based upon their interest and knowledge of video game design. The individual must know and understand all of Video Game Design Club, Miami procedures, guidelines, and regulations. The duties of the advisor include, but are not limited to: Checking periodically with the President to make sure that the club officers are performing their duties. Reviewing club’s annual budget and all expenditures. Reviewing all travel plans at least one week prior to departure. Being familiar with clubs constitution and bylaws. Assisting members and officers in organizational matters. Assisting in development of club goals. Abiding by all University Policy Procedures and Guidelines Signing Advisor agreement Attending club organizational meetings and consult freely with club officers. 10. Assisting members in maintaining a balance between academic endeavors and extracurricular activities. 11. Being familiar with the Student Organization Advisor Handbook provided by the Office of Student Activities. Article XI – Ratification All members will have access to a copy of the constitution for review. A meeting will be held to discuss any concerns or problems. Three-Fourths the votes must be obtained to inaugurate the constitution. Article XII – Amendments Amendments may be proposed at any time by any member. However, the required procedure is as follows: At the conclusion of the officers elections during the final meeting of the year, an open discussion about the constitution will follow. All concerns, problems, and questions regarding the current constitution will be discussed. The officers for the upcoming year will present any amendments to the club members at the first meeting of the following year for review. All current and new members will vote on any amendments at the second meeting. A three-fourths vote must be obtained to indoctrinate the amended constitution. Article XIII - Bylaws The organization currently has no bylaws.